Editing The Pen Addict 240/transcript (section)

== Pen Prototypes ==


'''Tiff Arment:''' Yeah. It was like a run on Frank and Kristoff.

'''Myke Hurley:''' So, so what's the deal with these prototypes then? Like, are they just like one-offs that they're making or like stuff that they're going to put into production later? Like, what is, what is that all about?

'''Tiff Arment:''' I'm not sure. It's, it seems like it's a one-off.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. It's, it's more of like a few off thing. Like if it's be, there'd be some different material that's not in their stock lineup in a pin, barrel model that, you know, it just doesn't come up for like a full production run. So they'll make several of one color in one style and break them out, sell them just for that. Sometimes they'll introduce new pin models. Like the 45 was one they introduced last year to see, you know, what the feedback is like to see if it becomes a production model pin. And so, yeah, I think they've just mostly play around with a lot of different materials, a lot of different combinations of materials, you know, different color finials with different color barrels that don't make just their standard lineup. And it just, and like in the past couple of years, it just became a thing like, okay, what are you bringing this time? So now they're, they're like fully committed to having to, they kind of have to do it now. So now they're probably like planning where before I don't, I think it was more almost like play test overrun type stuff. Now I think they're probably into like more of a planning thing on what they bring as far as the prototypes go, because like Tiff said, they do purposefully hold stuff back for every day. Like what comes out Friday morning is it for Friday, but Saturdays and Sundays is already pulled back and it's separate from those.

'''Tiff Arment:''' It seemed like too, they were, they were trickling out throughout the day, a couple more here and there that they had, I think more stock of because some people got in at eight o'clock for having a weekend pass. And let me tell you that crew, they would have like wiped it clean. And I'm pretty sure that they've, they were trickling some out throughout the day. So people had more of a chance. There was even one that had a Brooks material, I believe that I think I saw on Instagram. And then there was this one awesome one. I wish I got a chance to see it. I only saw it on Instagram because someone bought it pretty much at eight o'clock in the morning. Uh, they called it the snow and it's kind of like, I don't know, it looks like white and sparkly. And I just, I wanted to touch it, but I didn't have any more.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' It was gone.

'''Tiff Arment:''' And I asked about it too. I'm like, do you have just one back there? I'm like, I don't, I don't need to buy it. I just, I just want to touch it. And they're like, no, we didn't even see it. It was gone so fast. So, um, yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' And to give you an example of what hits on that table, Myke, in Atlanta, you know, I did the, I have the pen addict model O2 that I sell and then I stock in the store. They did, we had like probably three other samples and prototypes that I didn't choose. So they got those back and they had those out at the Atlanta show and they were bought up immediately, you know, that kind of thing. So like they worked on a bunch of pens for me, you know, so that ends up going back into the stash to be sold at a pen show.

'''Tiff Arment:''' Yeah. And they had a cut out a couple of those antique glass ones.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Right. Yep. So it seems like it's a combo of stuff that they've made and haven't sold. Plus maybe a little bit of like show exclusives. Yep. Interesting. Huh. So that's, that's kind of cool. Right. I mean, I see why they do it. If they have people lining up at 8am to buy them. Absolutely.

'''Tiff Arment:''' And let me tell you, it definitely makes, it gives you the FOMO. Like you're like, oh man, I'm not sure about this pen, but I have to buy it because it's not going to be here anymore. And then you buy it and you're like, okay. Yeah. Because you know what I mean? Because if you hesitate, then you can talk yourself out of it. If after you go walk around the whole show and see some other things, but because it's like someone else is going to pick this up immediately and then you're going to see it on Instagram two hours later and be like, no, that's what I was going to buy. Then. Yeah. So it's a great way to sell pens. It's genius.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yes. Yes. Yes. Tell me about this nib holder that's in your picture. It looks really nice.

'''Tiff Arment:''' Oh yeah. I picked this up from someone who, uh, Nicola Pang. He had a whole bunch out. Um, he doesn't make them. He has them made. Um, and he sources them from different places. I believe he has a website. Uh, let me see if I can get this right. Uh, no, he has an email address. Yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I'm, I'm, I know I've met him before.